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James Hogg

Born in 1770 in the Ettrick Valley in the Scottish Borders, James Hogg came from an unlikely literary background. (He is sometimes referred to as ‘The Ettrick Shepherd’.) Yet his best-known work, The Private Memoirs and Confessions of a Justified Sinner, published in 1824, is judged by many to be one of the greatest Scottish novels ever written, and one of the most famous men of the time, Romantic poet William Wordsworth, published a poem on hearing of his death in 1835.

Hogg’s father was a sheep-farmer and his son followed him into that calling after his schooling was cut short. He read widely however and began writing poetry, contributing some ballads to Sir Walter Scott’s Border Minstrelsy collection. There is no doubt Hogg’s connections with Scott helped him to reach a wider audience and granted him an entry into the literary world of writers and publishers.

James Hogg married in 1821 and the marriage produced five children. He did not give up on his farming background, dividing his time between Edinburgh and the Borders, but his farm was not financially successful, leading him to financial difficulties and bankruptcy. He died in 1835.

Edinburgh University Press are publishing the Collected Works of James Hogg, edited by Douglas Mack and Gillian Hughes.

Mary Paulson-Ellis was born in Glasgow and studied Politics and Sociology at Edinburgh University. She worked for several years in arts administration before giving it all up to become a writer. She began with an evening class as part of the Edinburgh …

Shortlisted for Saltire Society Publisher of the Year, 2016 National Galleries of Scotland Publishing is an established fine art and photography publisher. Our aim is to publish books with the highest design and production values which reflect the dive …